The Current Situation on the Mainland, Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong"Everyone, please follow me."
Seeing Dai Yao and the others arrive in front of the Sea God Temple, Sea Dragon Douluo had a complicated expression, but he still restrained his emotions and stepped aside to lead the way.
Dai Yao nodded, took Zhu Zhuqing's hand, and followed behind the Sea Dragon Douluo, slowly walking towards the Sea God Temple, which was sacred in the hearts of all soul masters on Sea God Island.
Outside the Temple of Poseidon.
On the hundreds of white jade pillars, countless patterns of sea spirit beasts are carved, each with a different posture, surrounding the Sea God Temple, as if they are worshipping the deity enshrined in the Sea God Temple.
Zhu Zhuqing and the others quietly admired their surroundings, their beautiful eyes filled with amazement. Having been on Seagod Island for so many years, this was the first time they had come so close to the Seagod Temple.
"Gentlemen, we cannot set foot inside the Temple of Poseidon. I can only escort you here."
Sea Dragon Douluo bowed slightly and said respectfully.
"Thank you, senior."
Dai Yao cupped his hands in thanks, and the four women, including Zhu Zhuqing, who had accompanied him, thanked him in unison.
Just as Sea Dragon Douluo turned to leave, the stone door of the Sea God Temple slowly opened, and a clear, cold voice came from inside the temple.
"Come in."
The group slowly entered the Sea God Temple. Except for Dai Yao, the four women were surprised to find that this legendary temple was not as sacred and magnificent as its exterior suggested; instead, it was rather simple. Inside, there wasn't a single window; it was pitch black and almost entirely devoid of decoration, extremely ancient and rustic.
There are seven platforms directly in front of Dai Yao and the others.
Above the seven platforms, there was another enormous platform. On this platform, a stick-like object was stuck into the ground.
Behind the 'stick', Poseidon sat cross-legged, her red dress trailing on the ground, her back graceful, facing the pitch-black 'stick'.
"You've arrived?"
Poseidon slowly levitated, turned around, faced the crowd, and smiled slightly.
"Greetings, senior."
Dai Yao and the others deliberately suppressed their voices so as not to break the tranquility of the Sea God Temple, and solemnly bowed as they spoke.
Poseidon smiled kindly:
"Before you begin your seventh test, let me tell you a story..."
Upon hearing this, everyone quieted down and listened attentively to Poseidon's story.
"The ocean is four times the size of the land. It is vast and boundless, inhabited by countless spirit beasts, all of whom dream of unifying it, but none possess absolute power. As a result, the ocean is constantly embroiled in war and chaos."
"In this chaotic situation, one person appeared."
"With his own strength, wielding a trident, he suppressed countless powerful soul beasts, eventually unifying the sea and being revered as the Sea God by all the creatures of the ocean."
"Now, millions of years have passed, and the sea god has become a legend. But the sea god's weapon, the trident, still remains in the mortal world. Gaining its approval will give you the opportunity to inherit the position of sea god. And this is your seventh test."
Poseidon's words struck everyone's hearts like a boulder.
Aside from Dai Yao, who remained calm and seemed to have expected it, the other four women were completely stunned. Dai Yao's seventh test was to pull out the trident of the sea god, which meant that Dai Yao had a chance to become... a god?
Dugu Yan stared at the black 'long staff' behind Poseidon, shuddered, and asked:
"Senior, the trident of Poseidon you mentioned, could it be the one behind you...?"
Poseidon smiled and nodded, then looked back at the long stick stuck in the ground and laughed:
"You're right, this is the Trident of Poseidon."
"A Soul Master reaching level ninety-nine represents the most powerful strength allowed by the rules. However, there are only two ways to take the final step, transcend the rules, and become a god."
"One method is to unite the faith of all beings and, with the help of their wishes, break through the final barrier and reach level 100. This method is extremely difficult, and very few have succeeded throughout history. This is the path that Lord Sea God has taken."
"Although I have reached level ninety-nine, I am a believer of the Sea God, and therefore I am not qualified to bear the faith. In hundreds of years, I have seen only one person who had the potential to become a god, but he disappeared for many years and may no longer be alive."
At this point, a faint sadness involuntarily crossed Poseidon's beautiful face.
Dai Yao knew who she was talking about: Tang San's great-grandfather, Tang Chen. But he wasn't foolish enough to tell Poseidon Tang Chen's whereabouts; if it stirred up Poseidon's will to survive, something unexpected might happen.
The four women were all engrossed in Poseidon's story. Such a secret would have been impossible for them to know without Poseidon speaking up.
"The other way is to inherit the approval of an existing god, and after passing the test, one can become a god."
"And Dai Yao, your Nine Trials of the Sea God are just like that. When you complete the Nine Trials of the Sea God, that will be the time for you to inherit the position of the Sea God, become the new generation of the Sea God, and rule over millions of the people of the sea!"
At this point, Poseidon became somewhat excited. Her resounding voice echoed throughout the temple of Poseidon.
Having worshipped the sea god for so many years, rediscovering the sea god was her long-cherished wish.
As soon as the words were spoken, the four women were so shocked they couldn't speak, exchanging bewildered glances. Looking again at Dai Yao's back, they felt a sense of unfamiliarity.
Her own husband had become a god, high above, looking down upon humanity?!
Poseidon slowly rose to her feet and solemnly said:
"Dai Yao, I'm telling you this because you've already passed the first six trials and completed the basic assessment of the Sea God's Nine Trials. The next three trials can be described as either incredibly difficult or extremely easy. It all depends on your own destiny."
"The trident of Poseidon behind me is the weapon of the Sea God. Gaining its approval means you have completed a crucial step towards becoming the Sea God."
"Go, pull it out."
Dai Yao nodded, and with a light leap, he landed on the high platform. Gazing at the pitch-black 'long staff,' Dai Yao didn't know how to describe his feelings.
Having been on the Douluo Continent for over twenty years, I've journeyed to Star Luo, fought in the Heavenly Battle, endured countless hardships, and joined the Spirit Hall. I founded my own sect, returned to Star Luo to avenge my blood feud, and now, I've even traveled overseas to cultivate diligently.
Through his understanding of the original story, Dai Yao has stolen many of Tang San's opportunities, and now he has even taken Tang San's divine position from the original work. However, Dai Yao feels no remorse.
He wasn't arrogant enough to promise a better future for Douluo Continent than Tang San's, but he was certain that only by inheriting the position of Sea God could he better protect his beloved family during the upcoming turmoil on the continent.
Dai Yao slowly reached out and grasped the halberd handle, his eyes flashing like lightning.
At that moment, Zhu Zhuqing, Dugu Yan, Feng Wutong, and Ning Rongrong released their martial souls simultaneously, unleashing their various domains to amplify Dai Yao's power.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the trident on Dai Yao's forehead emitted a golden light. Accompanied by a teeth-grinding creak, golden light flowed like molten lava along the black trident, releasing its original golden radiance...
······
Wuhun City, Hall of Offerings.
In the magnificent Angel Temple, beneath the solemn statue of an angel, Qian Daoliu looked down at Qian Renxue kneeling on the ground, a faint hint of satisfaction hidden in his indifferent eyes.
"Xiaoxue, you have successfully drawn the Angel God's weapon and gained the Angel God's approval. Now you only need to absorb the soul bone of the Angel God Armor. Once your soul power reaches level ninety-nine, you can become the new Angel God!"
Qian Daoliu's solemn and powerful voice echoed throughout the hall.
Qian Renxue knelt on the ground, the Angelic Sword lying across her legs. Stroking the seemingly alive blade, a flicker of joy danced in Qian Renxue's cold eyes.
But he didn't know who to share this joy with.
A silhouette of flowing golden hair flashed through Qian Renxue's mind, and she smiled bitterly. That person had been gone for a very, very long time...
"Grandpa, thank you."
Qian Renxue said coldly.
In the first six tests, Qian Daoliu was unusually strict with her, showing no favoritism whatsoever. It was all about cultivation; there was no room for familial affection. Of course, perhaps because they hadn't seen each other for many years, she felt her grandfather was a stranger.
Qian Daoliu stood with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the sacred angel statue, a hint of sadness in his eyes. He sighed and said:
"Sigh, if Xunji knew about your current achievements, he would surely be very satisfied..."
Qian Renxue remained silent.
After a long while, Qian Daoliu snapped out of his reverie, moved swiftly, and appeared beside Qian Renxue, speaking kindly:
"Xiaoxue, get up. Come with me. Don't blame me for being ruthless. If I'm not harsh with you, our angel lineage might disappear from the continent."
Qian Renxue slowly rose, carrying the Angelic Sword on her back, and stood beside Qian Daoliu, asking in surprise and doubt:
"Grandpa, is that woman something you're so wary of?"
"Three years ago, that woman established the Spirit Empire, launched a war, and took the initiative to invade two great empires. While defending against the Star Luo Empire's attack, she also launched an offensive against the Heaven Dou Empire, achieving great results on both fronts."
"Now, the Spirit Hall has become her domain. According to Senior Lion, no one in the Papal Palace listens to her anymore. Even Elder She Long, the Serpent Spear Douluo, and Elder Ci Xue, the Porcupine Douluo, no longer obey the orders of the Hall of Worship."
"If you, Grandpa, were to come out of seclusion, that woman would certainly not dare to be so presumptuous!"
Qian Daoliu stood on the edge of the cliff, overlooking the entire Martial Soul City. A hint of helplessness flickered in his golden eyes as he sighed:
"Xiaoxue, you don't understand. Bibi Dong's strength is no longer what it used to be. Now she has reached the same level as me, and not only that, she is only one step away from becoming a true god."
"If it weren't for her being too picky about spirit rings, and the fact that 100,000-year spirit rings are so rare and precious, she might have already taken the final step. Now, even I can only avoid her."
"Therefore, I can only keep pushing you to become the Angel Goddess as soon as possible. Otherwise, once she becomes the Rakshasa Goddess, our Angel lineage will surely disappear from the history of the continent..."
Qian Renxue was deeply shocked. She bit her lip, gripped the Angelic Sword tightly in her hand, and slowly said:
"I understand, Grandpa."
Qian Daoliu nodded with satisfaction. He hadn't told Qian Renxue about this before, worried that it would affect her cultivation. Now that Qian Renxue had completed the seventh trial, he could speak of it without worry. After a while, Qian Daoliu left, leaving Qian Renxue alone on the cliff edge.
A mountain breeze blew, causing her soft, golden hair to ripple like waves. Qian Renxue smiled bitterly as she thought:
"Dai Yao, you advised me to reconcile with that woman, to understand her, but you never imagined that she wouldn't let me go..."
After a long while, an irrepressible tenderness and longing flashed across Qian Renxue's golden eyes.
"Where are you now? If I die, will I ever see you again?"
Bibi Dong is just one step away from becoming a god, while she has only just completed her seventh trial, with two more awaiting her. Her chances of becoming a god before Bibi Dong are extremely slim. She knows very well what her fate would be if Bibi Dong became a god first…
······
Wuhun City, Papal Palace.
Bibi Dong sat high on the papal throne, wearing a purple-gold crown, leaning on the papal scepter, her slender arms supporting her head, her beautiful eyes slightly closed, her long, jade-like legs, encased in purple stockings, crossed, and said softly:
"Nana, how's the battle going?"
Below the papal throne, hundreds of cardinals knelt on one knee, each remaining completely silent. It should be noted that every single one of them was a powerhouse at least at the Soul Douluo level; within the Spirit Hall, only Bibi Dong commanded such respect!
As Bibi Dong finished speaking, a graceful figure stepped out from the front row, the only one in the group who wasn't kneeling.
Her orange hair fluttered in the wind, and the crisp sound of her high heels clicking on the floor rang out. Hu Liena slowly came to a stop and respectfully said:
"Teacher, regarding the Star Luo Empire, after we occupied Wuguan, the Star Luo Empire organized hundreds of counterattacks, all of which we repelled. As for the Heaven Dou Empire, our Soul Master troops have assisted the various kingdoms in inflicting a major defeat on the Heaven Dou Empire's army at Jialing Pass."
"Currently, our imperial army is already advancing directly into Fasno."
Hu Liena was not only the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall, but also the second most important figure in the Spirit Empire. All matters concerning war were first reviewed by Hu Liena before being presented to Bibi Dong.
Hearing Hu Liena's answer, Bibi Dong nodded in satisfaction and said calmly:
"That's right. What about the Haotian Sect of the Heaven Dou Empire?"
Hu Liena's expression hardened, and she said:
"Within the Heaven Dou territory, the Soul Masters of the Clear Sky Sect are still harassing us, especially those Title Douluo of the Clear Sky Sect. They are very powerful, and our elders don't have a good way to deal with them."
Upon hearing this, Bibi Dong slowly opened her eyes, her beautiful gaze as cold as ice. Her jade-like fingers tapped the throne, the crisp sound echoing in the empty hall. After a long while, she said in a chilling tone:
"The Imperial army is steadily advancing towards Tiandou City. Military forces from the Star Luo Empire will be diverted to reinforce Tiandou. By the end of this year, we must reach Tiandou City! At that time, I will personally take action and wipe the Haotian Sect from the continent!"
"If you accomplish my goal, I will reward you handsomely; but if you fail and jeopardize my grand plan, you'll have to answer to me with your heads!"
Bibi Dong's icy voice echoed within the hall, and hundreds of cardinals spoke in unison:
"Yes, Your Holiness the Pope!"
The cardinals left the Papal Palace like a tide, and soon the palace returned to silence.
Bibi Dong scanned the empty hall, a sickly flush rising to her face. Since Dai Yao's departure, her illness had worsened, to the point that she could only find peace through self-harm, as if atoning for her past choices. After a long silence, she murmured to herself:
"Dai Yao, when you come back, I will definitely give you a big gift..." (End of Chapter)